Fire-extinguishing material



Ratented Nov. 21, 1922.

war) sraras 1,435,957 PATENT oFFicE.

EAMES 1B. ELLERY, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ADAM DRUMTRA, OF BINGHAMTON,

-' NEW YORK.

FIRE-'EXTINGUISHING MATERIAL.

NoDrawing.

Our invention relates to material adapted for extinguishing fires by providing an airexcluding blanket for the burning substance. The invention is designed more. particu- 1 larly to provide a material for extin ishing fires in oilv or other combustible iquid as for instance fires in oil tanks, although it may be likewise employed for fires of other inflammable liquids and either in tanks or other situations.

Our invention. consists. essentially of a ranular or sub-divided material capable, ike cork, of floating on the surface of the liquid and rendered non-combustible in any desired way. Preferably we treat the cork with a solution of'silicate of soda which forms an actual coating and to some degree an impregnation of the cork and renders the same practically non-combustible, said 90 coating being retained on the cork when dry. This material, prepared beforehand, is

stored in any convenient location ready for use and when occasion requires is thrown upon the burning liquid and by spreading- 85 out and distributing itself over the surface ofthe liquid, forms a floating blanket of more or less uniform thickness which prevents access of air to the oil and-thereby smothers the fire.

' For handling material when it is desired purpose being only that it-beso far sub divided as to form a blanket when spreadinglout upon the burning surface. Also, as wi be obvious, other floating or buoyant Application filed December 13, 1921.

Serial No. 522,148.

material might be employed instead of the cork and properly coated with a coating of non-combustible or non-inflammable material which preferably should be such that it will dry on the surface of the sub-divided material and permit the same to be stored in dry condition and thereafter to spread itselfwithout adhesion or sticking together of the sub-divisions or granules when projected and freed for dispersion or distribution over such surface.

We do not limit ourselves to the employment of cork or any particular material coated with a non-inflammable substance since the essence of our invention consists in the use of a granulated material which is both capable of floating and spreading over the surface of the inflammable liquid and is in itself, or is 50 prepared as to be, nonl combustible -or non-vaporizable by the action of the heat of the burning liquid or other material.

While our invention is especially useful for. extinguishing fires consisting of burning liquid, it obviously may be used for extinguishing fires of other burnin materials.

The improved fire extinguis ing material herein .described and claimedis known as Eldrex.

WVhat we claim as our invention is 1.- A buoyant non-combustible material in granular or divided condition adapted to form an air-excluding blanket when spread over the surface of a burning body of liquid.

2. A fire extinguishing material comprising a granulated or sub-divided substance. 9 like cork having a non-combustible non-vaporizable coating.

3. A fire extinguishing material comprising cork in granulated or sub-divided condition coated with silicate of soda. 96

4. The method of extinguishing fires in combustible liquids consisting in spreading v over the-surface of the same a massflof granular or ,sub-divided non-combustiblematerial adapted to float upon and form an-- 100 air-excluding blanket over the surface :of said liquid. 7

5-. A fire extinguishing material compris- 1 ing floating, non-combustible granular orsub-divided material. l

6.A fire extinguishing material consisting of non-combustible, non-vaporizable material in granular or divided condition adapted to float upon and form an air-excluding blanket upon a burning body of liquid' 7. A. fire extinguishing material comprising cork or other buoyant substance in granular or sub-divided condition coated with a non-vaporizable coating.

8. A fire extinguishing material consisting of material in granular or divided condition, nonvaporizable and of specific gravity adapting it to float upon the surface of an inflammable liquid.

' Signed at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, this ninth day of December, A. D. 1921. 4

' JAMES B. ELLERY;

Witnesses KATHERINE L. ELLERY, HERMANN LEROY.

Signed at Binghamton,

Broome and State of New day of December, A. D. 1921.

ADAM DRUMTRA.

in the county of Witnesses:

ELIZABETH. DRUMTRA, ELMER V. JAc'KsoN.

York, this tenth 

